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F. @SHEPARD IHRASHING MACHINE.

Patented May 6, 1890.

@gli/tumoren UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.'

FREEDOM G. SHEPARD, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE NICHOLSit SHEPARD COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THRASHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,372, dated May 6,1890.

A Application filed January 16,1890. Serial No. 337,086. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, FREEDOM G. SHEPAED, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ThrashingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this speciication.

, My invention relates to the means for connecting the shoe with thelower longitudinal screen or grain-pan of the grain-separator, wherebythe shoe, while operated from the grain-pan or longitudinal screen, ismade to receive two short and rapid lateral vibrations to eachlongitudinal vibration of the latter, thereby facilitating the work ofcleaning the grain and obviating the heavy jar and strain. on themachine due to the long and simultaneous vibration oit' the shoe andgrain-pan or screen.

It consists in a novel arrangement of rocksha'ft with arms and linksconnecting the laterally-vibrating shoe with the longitudinallymovingscreen or grain-pan, whereby two vibrations are given to 'the shoe ineach vibration of the pan, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents in side elevation somuch of a thrashing-machine grain-separator as is necessary to show myimprovements. Eig. 2 is an end View of the same, partly broken away,showing the rock-shaft and its connections in elevation. Eig. 3 is aplan View of the rockshaft, its upper crank-arm, and connectingrod; andEig. 4: is a similar view of the shaft, its lower crank-arm, andconnecting-rod. Eig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

' A indicates the frame of the machine, which may be of any usualconstruction; B B', the upper sectional straw carrier and shaker, and Cthe lower longitudinal shaker-screen or grain-pan, which receives thegrain, chaff, dto., escaping through the upper shaker or carrier, andfrom-which the grain escapes to the shoe D, and thence to the conveyerat D', which carries it out of the machine. Longitudinal vibration isimparted to the shaker B B and grain-pan C by links c c, connecting themwith suitable actuating-cranks on a shaft C', as shown, or in any usualmanner. The shoe is suspended at its outer or rear end on links d,connecting it with the frame A, and which permit a lateral movement orvibration of said end relative to the frame. E indicates avertically-arran ged rock-shaft mounted in suitable bearing-brackets onthe frame A, and provided at its ends with transversely-arrangedcrank-arms e ande', the upper one of which is connected by a rod orpitman f with the longitudinally-moving grainpan C, and the lower one bya transverselyarranged rod or pit-man j" with the bottom or side of theshoe D. The arrangement of the shaft E is such, preferably, that whenthe grain-pan C is at -about the center of its throw or longitudinalmovement the shaft will stand with its arms e at right angles, or nearlyso, with the path of said pan, so that in the vibration of the pan saidarms will swing in an arc of a circle about the same distance back andforward of said position in which the rod or link f-, connecting theshoe D with the arm e', will be in line substantially parallel with saidarm. Consequently as the arm vibrates from said central position theshoe D will be vibrated back and forth laterally on each side of saidcentral line a distance equal to the axis of the arc described by theend of the arm c plus the difference between the base and the hypotenuseof a right-angled triangle, the base of which is formed on a line withthe crank-arm c and link f', and the hypotenuse by the pitman with thecrankarm at the end of its throw on either side of said base-line; or,inother words, the throw of the shoe will be equal to the difference inthe distance between the shaft E and the pivotal connection of the rod Ewith the shoe D, with the crank-arm c and rod f extended in a right orparallel line and the same points when the crank-arm and rod f aredeiiected to the extent of their throw on either side of said parallelline, as illustrated in Fig.' 4c, the parts vibrating like the arms of atoggle-link and giving two vibrations of the shoe D to each one of thepan C. The throw of the shoe will of coursebe determined by the relativelength of the arms e and e', and lmay be varied by making the links fand f adjustable in and out on said arms, which are shown provided witha series of perforations permitting such adjustment.

By the arrangement described two short rapid vibrations of the shoe areobtained in each vibration of the grain-pan, such as are found to bevery effective in effecting a separation of the grain from the chaff andthe impurities mingled therewith, much more so than the long slowVibrations imparted to the shoe under the usual arrangement of the partsfor actuating it; and, further, these short quick vibrations of the shoeare found to be less injurious to the frame-work of the niachine thanthe long and heavy strokes, as producing less swaying of jar and strainon the parts, and therefore rendering the machine more durable.

The arrangement of parts of the machine not hereinabove particularlydescribed may l be similar to that of machines in common use. I

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the longitudinallyreciprocating grain-pan orscreen, the crankshaft for actuating said pan, and thelaterallyvibrating shoe, of the interposed rock-shaft, the crankarmsthereon arranged substantially at right angles to the adjacent sides ofthe pan and shoe, and link-rods connecting said arms, one With saidgrain-pan and the other with the shoe, substantially as described,whereby two lateral vibrations are imparted to the shoe in eachlongitudinal vibration of the grain-pan, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1890.

FREEDOM G. SHEPARD.

Vitnesses:

A. C. KINGMAN, C. C. BEACH.

